Naomi, I Choose You
by Scoffing At Gravity
Summary: After the events of "Naomi Knows Best," Esteban realizes there's a discussion he needs to have with Naomi. (Yes, the title is a Pokémon reference.) **Spoilers for "Naomi Knows Best" inside. Proceed with caution.**


**A/N**: I've been in the EoA fandom for a while now, but this is my first fic for this universe. "Naomi Knows Best" inspired me to write something, and I'm a huge fan of the Esteban & Naomi dynamic. Esteban, in particular, has grown so much since the first half of season one, and the development of Esteban and Naomi's relationship is one of my favorite things. From the disaster in "Finders Leapers" to the synchronization in "Royal Rivalry," they play off each other well. I couldn't imagine them not discussing what happened in "Naomi Knows Best," so this is my version of the aftermath.

* * *

After Elena and Naomi departed to join Captain Nunez and Mateo, Esteban decided to take his leave and go below deck to his quarters. The previous night had been spent tossing and turning as thoughts flooded his mind. King Joaquín had insisted on accommodating them all with luxurious guest rooms for the night before they sailed back to Avalor. Despite the comfort of the bed, he couldn't stop thinking about his misstep in not examining Joaquín's letter further. If Naomi hadn't picked up on the oddities and investigated the matter further, Elena could have been drained of all her magic or worse, and he'd have been partially responsible for it.

His gut still clenched in fear at that thought. He'd had a part in too many familial deaths, and, if he could help it, there'd never be another. Esteban sighed and settled down on the small bed. He slumped forward, elbows on his knees, and ran a hand through his hair. He hated to admit it –- even to himself, but there was merit in the idea of Naomi replacing him. Sure, Elena was most likely kidding about making Naomi chancellor in the near future, and, therefore, forcing him into retirement, but a part of him couldn't help but worry about losing his position so soon.

Sixty wasn't exactly young, but it also wasn't old to the point of no longer having anything to contribute to society. He could easily serve as chancellor for another five years.

Esteban sighed and sat upright once more. "Those are thoughts for later. Right now, I need a nap." Carefully, he removed his sash and jacket, set them aside, and then tugged his boots off one by one. "That's better." Interlocking his fingers behind his head, he lay down and got into a comfortable position. Errant thoughts were pushed to the side as he allowed himself to slip into unconsciousness.

* * *

Three hours later, Elena knocked against the doorframe, and peaked her head into the room. A warm smile lit her face. She'd checked on Esteban earlier, noticed he was napping, and left him to get rest. Now, though, they were close to Avalor, and she knew he'd want time to make himself presentable.

She sat down next to Esteban's prone body and gently shook his shoulder. "Come on, Esteban. It's time to get up!"

"Five more minutes, abuelo," he grumbled into his pillow, clutching it tighter.

Elena stifled a giggle. "Okay, but someone stole your portrait from the library."

Esteban jolted awake. "The fiend! Assemble the royal guard! There's no time to lose!"

The giggles broke free from Elena, and only increased when Esteban turned a grumpy glare in her direction. "If you could only see your face, cousin!"

"Yes, I'm sure it's amusing." He rolled his eyes. "Now, why did you wake me up?"

"We're thirty minutes away from Avalor."

Esteban pressed a hand to his forehead. "That close?! I must have been more tired than I thought." He shifted himself until he was sitting next to Elena.

"I guess so." Elena's expression morphed into light concern. "You okay, primo?"

Esteban stared down at his feet and debated on how much to divulge. "Well, it's never pleasant to get locked in a dungeon cell, or remain helpless while evil magic users threaten the life of my family." He lifted his gaze to Elena and shrugged a shoulder. "I'll manage." It was his turn to fix Elena with a concerned look of his own. "How about you?"

"I'll manage, too." Elena rested her head on Esteban's shoulder and linked their arms together. "I didn't love getting kidnapped, or feeling my magic drain away. It was scary, and I hated not knowing what would happen to you or Mateo if I-," Elena cut herself off with a shiver.

Esteban placed his hand on top of Elena's and squeezed. "I know."

Shaking the thought from her mind, Elena perked up. "At least we captured Victor!"

"That's hardly much of a prize," Esteban scoffed, tone teasing. "He's unpleasant, and comes up with the worst nicknames."

Elena nudged him with her shoulder. "True, but it's something." Grinning, she untangled their arms and stood up. "I'll leave you to get ready."

He nodded in acknowledgment and began pulling on his boots. "I'll be up shortly."

* * *

It wasn't long before the ship pulled into dock, and Esteban felt something nagging at him. His eyes fell on Naomi. He watched as she helped secure the rope holding the ship to the dock, and was once more reminded of the previous time he'd underestimated her. He sighed and comforted himself with the fact he wasn't as bad as the time with the duendes. Still, he knew he owed her an apology.

Esteban waited until Gabe and the other royal guards escorted Victor away. A sliver of worry resurfaced that Victor would try to convince his family of his larger part in Shuriki's invasion, but he pushed it aside. That could be dealt with later. Making amends with Naomi was more important.

"Elena," he called over to his cousin, "you and Mateo can head on to the palace without me. I have something I need to do." Ignoring Mateo's confusion and the knowing glint in Elena's eyes, Esteban waited for Naomi to finish explaining to her parents her overnight stay in Cariza. He alternated between watching the family interaction and staring out at the water. Once he noticed the conversation fade, he decided to make his entrance. "Excuse me, Captains Turner, I need to speak with Naomi."

Both parents looked to Naomi for confirmation that she was okay with it, and, upon receiving it, Daniel nodded and gave one last hug to Naomi before leaving to assist some dockworkers. Meanwhile Scarlett grinned at Naomi. "No more undiscussed overnight visits, okay? You may be eighteen now, but you're still my baby."

Naomi shoved at her mom in embarrassment while Esteban chuckled. "Yeah, fine, mom. Now go help dad. Esteban and I have very important, adult matters to discuss, don't we?" Naomi bore her gaze into Esteban's – a mixture between a demand and a plea.

Swallowing one last chuckle, Esteban nodded and cleared the amusement from all but his eyes. "This is true."

"_See_?"

"Okay, okay. I'm going." Scarlett winked at her daughter, and then sauntered over to assist her husband.

With Scarlett out of earshot, Esteban let his grin break through. "Do I need to know your curfew?"

"Shut up," Naomi huffed, elbowing him in the side. She looked down to hide the forming grin. "What did you want to talk about?"

Esteban sobered up and looked around at the various people milling about. "Let's go somewhere a little less crowded."

They walked together down the dock, and Naomi nodded a greeting at every sailor she knew, which was most of them. After a couple minutes spent in companionable silence, Esteban and Naomi reached the near empty parking area for the carriages, and he stopped. The chancellor then turned to face her.

"First off, I should start off by saying you were right, and I was…less right about Joaquín's letter. I should not have discounted your words so quickly," Esteban said in a rush.

Naomi stared in surprise for a moment, and then grinned. "Is this your way of apologizing and saying you were wrong, and I was right?"

Esteban grimaced. "Yes."

"In that case, I accept your apology." Naomi held back a smirk as she watched the chancellor relax. "Was there anything else?"

"There was. I'd also like to thank you for looking into things further. If you hadn't, Elena might've-might not have come home." Esteban shuddered.

Naomi laid a gentle hand against the distressed man's shoulder. "But she did, and, as long as Elena has all of us by her side, she won't leave for a very long time."

Esteban nodded and smiled his gratitude to Naomi. "I would expect nothing less." The unspoken '_of you'_ hung between them.

Naomi took a step back and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Wow, an apology, a thank you, and a compliment all within a minute. Are you sure _you_ didn't get hit with one of those spells, Esteban?"

Esteban looked down at her and smirked. "I think I would remember that, Naomi."

"Oh, we're back to Naomi now. For a moment, I thought I was stuck being back to _Miss Turner_," she imitated his voice when saying her name.

"I do not sound like that!"

"Yes, you do!"

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Do no-okay, you know what? I'm not going to continue this." Esteban turned his face skyward and made himself the picture of refinement, but Naomi could see the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Naomi bumped into his side and grinned. "So you forfeit, and I win."

"If that's how you want to look at it, then yes, I suppose you do. I still say it was a subpar impression of me…" His relaxed gaze drifted down to meet hers. "However, it was a step up from most others, minus Mateo's."

Reminded of Mateo's nearly spot-on impression, Naomi giggled. "You know what? I'll take it!"

Silence fell upon the two once more, and Esteban contemplated how to bring up the last matter of discussion he wished to have with Naomi. Thankfully for him, she gave him a perfect segue into the topic. Naomi's expression shifted into the one she reserved for serious discussions, and Esteban found his spine straightening a tick more.

"You know Elena and I were just messing with you, right? I don't plan on replacing you, and she wouldn't push you out of your position." Naomi worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I know." Esteban dipped his head in a slow nod. "Earlier, I wouldn't have, but I like to think I've grown much since the forming of the Grand Council. I was wrong about you, in particular, amongst other things." He paused a moment to gather his thoughts. He needed to make sure she knew he was serious, and it would require a gesture and a different setting. "Naomi, would you accompany me back to the palace?"

Naomi blinked at the sudden question. "Uh, sure. Are we having a meeting?"

"Yes, I am sure we will have one concerning how to handle Victor, and what course of action to take in finding his family, but there's something else, too."

"Okay, then. I'll just send word to my parents that I have some official business to take care of." Naomi ran up to one of the sailors, gave him his instructions, and then returned to Esteban's side. "Normally, I'd just go, but, after one surprise disappearance, I didn't want them to worry."

"I understand. Shall we?" Esteban opened the carriage door for Naomi.

"We shall." Naomi climbed in and waited until Esteban was seated beside her. Once he was, the driver urged the horses forward, and they set off in the direction of the palace. During the ride, Naomi kept sneaking glances at Esteban, but his gaze remained fixed out the window. She resigned herself to the fact she'd get her answers once they arrived.

Finally, the carriage pulled to a stop in the palace courtyard, and both council members took their exit.

Naomi pivoted on her heel to face Esteban, and she quirked an eyebrow. "So, when are we going to discuss the 'something else'?"

With a teasing grin, Esteban wrapped a friendly arm around Naomi's shoulders and waggled a finger at her. "Patience, Naomi."

Naomi snorted and shoved at his arm. "I have yet to ever reach your level of impatience, Esteban. Don't worry."

"I will ignore that remark for the sake of peace." He clapped his hands together. "Now, I promise I will not keep you in the dark much longer. Before we find my abuelos and Elena, come with me to the library. There's something I have to give you."

Naomi, torn between curiosity and amusement, deadpanned, "Is it a book?" Nevertheless, she followed him down the palace corridors.

"Well, it's certainly not one of the reading tables, or Mateo's workshop."

"Aw, man! I was hoping to convert his workshop into my personal office!"

"I'm sure we can find you an office space that _doesn't_ belong to someone else already…how do you feel about one of the supply closets? I could get Armando to have one emptied out for you."

"Oh, ha ha ha. Maybe I will take your position just so I can have your office."

Their banter continued even as they reached the library entrance. Esteban gestured for Naomi to sit on the couch.

"Sit. I'll be but a moment." He walked purposefully over to one of the bookshelves and ghosted a hand over the titles as he searched for a specific one. After a few moments, he located the correct one and pulled it off the shelf. "Ah, here it is." Both hands clutching it, Esteban's posture changed from relaxed to somewhat hesitant. He was certain in his decision, but he also couldn't shake the feeling that this conversation would sound the bells announcing the beginning of his end. Absently, his right thumb caressed the tome's cover.

"Um, Esteban? Are you okay?" Naomi tilted her head at the still chancellor.

Broken out of his thoughts, Esteban cleared his throat and stepped away from the bookshelf. He glanced down at the book one more time and, steeling himself with resolve, turned back to Naomi. "Yes. I was just thinking." In a few short strides, he was standing in front of her and extending the book.

Naomi accepted the book from his hand, flipped it so the spine faced her, and read over the title. "_Inter-kingdom Relations and You._" Her face scrunched in confusion as she turned to face the now seated Esteban. "Isn't that your area, and Elena's?"

"This is true," he acknowledged, "but that won't be the case for me much longer."

Naomi suddenly looked alarmed, and the book dropped from her hands into her lap. "Wait! Are you dying?!"

"_What_?! No! I am in perfect health!" Esteban turned an incredulous stare at the young woman before dropping his face into his hands. "This is not how I intended for this conversation to go," he lamented.

"What conversation?"

Esteban lifted his head and fixed the now calm Naomi with a wry grin. "The conversation in which I tell you that, when I retire from being chancellor, I would feel at ease knowing that Elena and the kingdom would have you in my place. I can think of no one better to take over for me, and I'm certain Elena would agree."

Naomi's jaw dropped in shock. "_What_?" she squeaked out. "Are you serious? This isn't some kind of joke, right?"

Confusion spread over Esteban's face. "Why would I joke about something like this? You know I take matters pertaining to Avalor very seriously."

"I mean, yeah, but…you're sure?"

His gaze softened, and he shifted his position, so he could establish eye contact. "If I wasn't, I wouldn't be offering my mentorship on becoming chancellor. You've already proven your skill in reading people and strategic thinking, and I know you're dedicated to Avalor and its people. It would be my honor to instruct you in kingdom relations, and all other matters of state." At Naomi's continued silence, he blinked and then looked down at his hands. "That is if you'd like the position of chancellor. You don't have to accept right away – if at all. You have time to think it over, and the transition wouldn't right away. I still have a few years left in me, you know?" A sudden sniffle from Naomi broke him out of his ramble, and his eyes darted over to Naomi, who was wiping at her eyes. "Naomi?"

Before Esteban could get another word out, Naomi launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his torso. She pressed her face against his neck and held him tight. Esteban's arms hovered at Naomi's sides for a moment before he secured his arms around her in a loose embrace. "Yes," she croaked, "I'd like that."

The tension melted from Esteban's body, and his hold on her became certain. "Oh, good."

Neither of them spoke for a while, and, once both parties had regained their composure, they separated. Instead of immediately looking away from each other as they did after surviving the Xolos, the two shared a smile.

Naomi picked the book up from her lap, and gave a huff of laughter "Who would've thought this is where we'd end up?"

"I know I wouldn't have, but it's been an eventful and enlightening couple of years. I'm glad to have been proven wrong on my initial impression of you."

"And I've enjoyed proving you wrong." Naomi winked, grinning at Esteban's fond exasperation. "I could probably teach you a couple of things, too."

Dropping the feigned exasperation, Esteban settled into a fond look. "I am sure you could, _Miss Turner_."

Unlike previous times he'd addressed her as such, the title held a new warmth and regard, and, from Naomi's faint flush, she'd heard it loud and clear.

* * *

**A/N:** Let me know what you think! I love feedback. :)


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